'An Original Man (A Song For Keith)' by The Yardbirds - YouTube 'An Original Man (A Song For Keith)' by The Yardbirds Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Feb 10, 2013 The song is a tribute to Keith Relf, the original lead singer for The Yardbirds, one of the 60's most important and influential British blues/rock bands. Relf was electrocuted in 1976 while playing his guitar at his home. The recording is from the 2003 album "Birdland", the first Yardbirds studio album since 1967. On The Yardbirds official site, bass player Chris Dreja says: "I remember writing the lyrics. I was at home and there was this book about the band on the table, and there was a photograph of Keith. I remember thinking how much he influenced these rock guys of today, their look and their attitude - I see little Relf copies all over the place.

Relfy was the original man in that sense. I just wanted to write some lyrics encompassing what he was. He died young; he was immensely talented, a lot of it unrecognized. He was the real thing. So that's what really inspired me. The Gregorian chants on the fade very much fitted the reflectiveness of that song." The Yardbirds had a string of hits in the mid-1960s, including "For Your Love", "Over Under Sideways Down", "Little Games", "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" and "Heart Full of Soul". The group is notable for having started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, all of whom made the top five of Rolling Stone's 100 Top Guitarists list. The Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

The bulk of the band's most successful self-written songs came from bassist/producer Paul Samwell-Smith who, with singer/harmonica player Keith Relf (22 March 1943 - 14 May 1976), drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist/bassist Chris Dreja, constituted the core of the group. The band reformed in the 1990s, featuring McCarty, Dreja and new members. The lineup on the Birdland album included Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, Gypie Mayo (lead guitar, backing vocals), John Idan (bass, lead vocals) and Alan Glen (harmonica, backing vocals), which consisted of a mixture of new material mostly penned by McCarty and re-recordings of some of their greatest hits, with guest appearances by Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Slash, Brian May, Steve Lukather, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, John Rzeznik, Martin Ditchum and Simon McCarty. Also, Jeff Beck reunited with his former band-mates on the song "My Blind Life".

Top Topham, Yardbirds first guitarist from the 1960s, made a rare guest appearance on stage in 2005. Since the release of Birdland, Gypie Mayo was briefly replaced by Jerry Donahue, and subsequently in 2005 by the then 22-year-old Ben King, while Alan Glen was replaced by Billy Boy Miskimmin from Nine Below Zero fame. The latest lineup includes Chris Dreja, Jim McCarty, Ben King, Andy Mitchell and David Smale. Yardbirds Official Website: The Yardbirds | Rolling Stone artists > T > The Yardbirds > Bio The Yardbirds Bio The Yardbirds may not have been as famous as their British Invasion contemporaries the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Who, but the pioneering blues-based combo introduced three of the most famous and influential guitarists of the rock era: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Their innovations — a revved-up instrumental attack, controlled use of feedback, distortion and fuzz; and live, improvisational jams they called "rave ups" — paved the way for psychedelic rock, progressive rock, heavy metal, Southern boogie and even punk.

The earliest version of the band formed in the London suburbs in the early 1960s as The Metropolis Blues Quartet, but by 1963, the Yardbirds line-up had gelled with core members Keith Relf (vocals, harmonica), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar), Paul Samwell-Smith (bass) and Jim McCarty (drums), in addition to lead guitarist Anthony "Top" Topham. When sixteen-year-old Topham was pressured by his parents to quit, Eric Clapton, who went by the nickname "Slowhand," stepped in. The band took over the Rolling Stones' residency at the London club Crawdaddy and became a hot item on the city's R&B scene. In late 1963, the Yardbirds — named for the Southern American slang term for "chicken" — served as the backing band for a Crawdaddy performance by American bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson II. The following year, the group signed with Columbia Records and released its U.K.

debut album, Five Live Yardbirds, a live set of hard-rocking electric blues and R&B covers including Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning," the Isley Brothers' "Respectable" and Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man." By 1965, the band had developed its own sound, apart from just blues covers, with singles such as "For Your Love," which reached Number Three in the U.K. and Number Six in the United States. Clapton, at the time a blues purist, left the Yardbirds in protest of their move away from the form, and was replaced by experimental rock guitarist Jeff Beck, who took the band to new creative heights. The Yardbirds then released two introductory compilations in the U.S. — For Your Love, including the single of the same name, and Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds, which includes the singles "Heart Full of Soul" (Number Nine, 1965) and the proto-psychedelic song "Shapes of Things" (Number 11, 1966), as well as a few live tracks from their debut.

Rave Up also includes "Stroll On," the group's altered version of the blues standard "Train Kept A-Rollin'," which features both Beck and Page on guitars. The song (and band) appeared in the Michelangelo Antonioni film of 1966, Blow-up. Around the time of the sessions for the Yardbird's next album — a self-titled set of all-original material — Samwell-Smith left his role as bassist and moved behind the scenes as producer. Page officially joined the band as bassist until Dreja mastered the instrument, after which he and Beck paired up as one of the most influential guitar duos of the period. Future Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones also appeared on some songs, including the experimental "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago," which features a twin-lead guitar attack from Beck and Page that provided a blueprint for subsequent heavy metal bands.

The album, popularly known as Roger the Engineer and widely considered the Yardbirds' masterpiece, includes influences of Indian and Middle Eastern music as well as avant-garde techniques; it spawned the singles "Happenings" (Number 30, 1966) and "Over Under Sideways Down" (Number 13, 1966). The latter song was also the title of the U.S. version of the album. In 1966, the band also released its earliest live recordings, with Sonny Boy Williamson, as Sonny Boy Williamson & the Yardbirds. With both Page and Beck, whom the British music magazine Beat Instrumental voted the Number One lead guitarist of 1966, the Yardbirds' live performances became a huge draw and the band earned a slot opening for the Rolling Stones. The Beck-Page version of the Yardbirds, however, was short-lived, as Beck was fired from the band during a U.S. tour. With Page now the sole lead guitarist, the Yardbirds' sound became heavier than the band's earlier incarnations.

Page continued some of the avant-garde tendencies of the Beck-era Yardbirds, such as running a violin bow over the strings of his guitar to produce eerie scraping sounds; he would later employ the technique with Led Zeppelin. The experimentation didn't help the band's chart success; none of the three singles from Little Games, the Yardbirds' final studio album in 1967, charted well. During their 1967 and 1968 concerts, the Yardbirds eschewed their singles in favor of darker, beefier music such as the menacing blues-rock song "Dazed and Confused," which Page would take to Zeppelin. The version of the Yardbirds with the core membership of Relf, McCarty and Dreja performed its last show on July 7, 1968. Page, with outstanding touring obligations for the Yardbirds, assembled a new line-up: his old bassist friend John Paul Jones, singer Robert Plant and drummer John Bonham. The New Yardbirds, of course, would become Led Zeppelin, one of the most successful bands in the history of rock, pioneering the dark and heavy blues sound and fanciful lyrics that constitute the basis of heavy metal.

After Zeppelin proved itself a powerhouse with its first three albums, Clive Davis of Epic Records twice released a 1968 Yardbirds performance as Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page. The set, which Page's lawyers forced out of circulation both times, includes an embryonic version "Dazed and Confused" and remains a much-sought-after rarity. The other Yardbirds took different paths. Dreja became a professional photographer. Relf, McCarty and producer Samwell-Smith formed the progressive rock band Renaissance, although they left after the band's second album, and Renaissance continued producing music throughout into the Eighties. Samwell-Smith wound up producing Cat Stevens' successful career, and the other two moved from one folk-prog band to the next during the early Seventies. Relf died in an electrical accident in 1976. In the 1980s, the core Yardbirds — McCarty, Dreja and Samwell-Smith — reunited as Box of Frogs, with Page or Beck sitting in from time to time. In 1992, the Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All surviving musicians, including Clapton, Beck and Page, appeared the ceremony.

Around that time, McCarty and Dreja reformed the Yardbirds with singer and bassist John Idan. The band has continued to tour as the Yardbirds with a revolving-door cast of lead guitarists. In 2003, the group released a new Yardbirds album, Birdland, with guest appearances from a string of guitar players including Slash, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Brian May and even Beck on the song "My Blind Life." The group released a performance album four years later, Live At B.B. King Blues Club. ? Artist Profile - The Yardbirds - Bio Cactus The Yardbirds are an English rock band that had a string of hits in the mid 1960s, including "For Your Love", "Over Under Sideways Down" and "Heart Full of Soul". The group is notable for having started the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, all of whom were in the top fifteen of Rolling Stone's 100 Top Guitarists list (Clapton as #4, Page as #9, and Beck as #14).

A blues-based band that broadened its range into pop and rock, The Yardbirds were pioneers in guitar innovations of the '60s: fuzz tone, feedback, distortion, backwards echo, improved amplification, etc. Pat Pemberton, writing for Spinner, holds that the Yardbirds were "the most impressive guitar band in rock music". After the Yardbirds broke up in 1968, their current lead guitarist Jimmy Page founded what became Led Zeppelin. The bulk of the band's most successful self-written songs came from bassist/producer Paul Samwell-Smith who, with singer/harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist/bassist Chris Dreja, constituted the core of the group. The band reformed in the 1990s, featuring McCarty, Dreja and new members. The Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. The Yardbirds | British Invasion Bands CONTACT The Yardbirds Imagine having three of the world’s greatest guitar players in the same band. Only the Yardbirds can make that claim to fame, although all three — Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page — didn’t all play together at the same time.

Clapton was a member of the original R&B group, which succeeded the Rolling Stones as house band at Richmond’s Crawdaddy Club. Clapton and singer Keith Relf were backed by guitarist Chris Dreja, drummer Jim McCarty and bass player Paul Samwell-Smith, all of whom co-wrote the Yardbirds’ hits. The club’s owner, Giorgio Gomelsky, became their manager and producer, and in 1964 the group signed a contract with EMI/Columbia. The Yardbirds recorded a live album and went on tour with bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson. After two unsuccessful singles, the Yardbirds scored with “For Your Love.” Despite its success, Clapton — who was something of a blues purist at the time — objected to the move into pop music and quit the band in 1965. Within a couple of days, he was replaced by studio guitarist Jeff Beck. The Yardbirds put together an album for the US and toured the States in August 1965.

It was during Beck’s time with the group that the Yardbirds scored their biggest hits: “Heart Full of Soul”, “I’m A Man” and “Shapes of Things.” Samwell-Smith left the band in 1966 to become a record producer and another session player, Jimmy Page, took his place. Page had been Clapton’s original choice as his successor but turned down the offer. The Yardbirds made best advantage of their two lead guitarists, allowing both to display their skills together. While they didn’t produce as many commercial hits as before, the group gained a solid reputation and toured with the another top-flight live band, the Rolling Stones. During a US tour in late 1966, Beck was fired for missing too many shows because of illness. The Yardbirds, now a quartet, began to experiment in psychedelic music, all the while releasing commercial pop records. Band members split on their musical direction: Relf and McCarty wanted a softer sound, while Page pushed for a return to guitar-based hard rock and blues. The Yardbirds played their final concert together in July 1968. With some touring obligations remaining, Page replaced singer Relf with Robert Plant and added other musicians.

The new combination caught on, but legal issues forced Page to stop using the Yardbirds name. So the band became Led Zeppelin, which would enjoy ten years as one of the world’s biggest rock bands. Relf and drummer Jim McCarty formed an acoustic group called Together and later a progressive rock band named Renaissance, which recorded two albums for Island Records. Relf died by electrocution, while playing an ungrounded guitar in his studio in 1976. The Yardbirds, 2010 The Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. All six living musicians who had been part of the group’s heyday, including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, appeared at the ceremony. Beck cracked at the ceremony: “Someone told me that I should be happy, but I’m not…because they kicked me out… f*** them! (Laughs)…” Where Are They Now? Bass player Paul Samwell-Smith went on to a very succesful career as a record producer, working with Cat Stevens, Jethro Tull and Carly Simon, among others.

In the Nineties, he played in the Yardbirds’ reunion band called Box of Frogs. After the Yardbirds, Eric Clapton played with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Cream and Blind Faith and then went on to a hugely successful solo career. Jeff Beck has pursued a solo career, in addition to collaborating with scores of other musicians. He played guitar for Kelly Clarkson in last year’s American Idol Gives Back program, receiving a standing ovation from the audience. Also in 2007, Beck was featured at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Jimmy Page #9 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. After ten years with Led Zeppelin, Page has recorded with other musicians for the last three decades. In the mid 2000s, he joined surviving Zeppelin members to play at a charity concert in London. In September 2014, Page – who hasn’t toured solo since 1988 – announced that he will start a new band and perform material spanning his entire career. Bass player Chris Dreja is a professional photographer.

Dreja suffered a series of strokes in 2012 and 2013 and had not performed with The Yardbirds since mid-2012. In July 2013 it was announced that he had officially left the band for medical reasons and was replaced by original lead guitarist Top Topham. Drummer Jim MCarty is the only remaining original Yardbird. The Yardbirds Videos “Four Your Love”, live, 1965 At the Monmouth Festival, 2007, medley The lineup: John Idan-Bass & Lead Vocals; Ben King-Lead Guitar; Billy Miskimmin-Harmonica, Vocals & Percussion; Chris Dreja-Guitar & Vocals; Jim McCarty-Drums, Vocals Yardbirds Discography Yardbirds, The Yardbirds, The by • Artists - Y , Music - 1960s Q: How many famous guitarists can one band have? A: Three of the acknowledged masters of the craft, Eric Clapton , Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page , all served their time with The Yardbirds.

This UK R&B group was formed in London in 1963 when Keith Relf and Paul Samwell-Smith joined forces with Chris Dreja , Tony 'Top' Topham (guitar) and Jim McCarty, following The Rolling Stones into the Crawdaddy Club as house band. Within months Topham was replaced by Eric Clapton and the group quickly amassed a following in the fledgling blues circuit. Two enthusiastic singles, I Wish You Would and Good Morning Little Schoolgirl, attracted critical interest, but the quintet's fortunes flourished with the release of Five Live Yardbirds, recorded live at the Marquee Club. The commercial nature of their magnificent third single For Your Love proved unacceptable to Eric Clapton (despite its innovative sound) and led to his departure in 1965. As the single climbed to #1, Jeff Beck joined The Yardbirds. Further hits were achieved with Heartful Of Soul and Evil Hearted You. Other stand-out releases included Shapes Of Things, the chaotic Over Under Sideways Down and the excellent The Yardbirds - their first studio album (1966). Disaffection with touring led to the departure of bassist Samwell-Smith in June 1966.

Respected session guitarist Jimmy Page was brought into a line-up that, with Dreja switching to bass, now adopted a potentially devastating twin-lead guitar format. The experimental Happenings Ten Years Time Ago confirmed such hopes, but within six months Beck had departed during a gruelling USA tour. The Yardbirds remained a quartet but, despite a growing reputation on the American underground circuit, their appeal as a pop attraction waned. When Relf and McCarty announced a desire to pursue a folk-based direction, the group folded in June 1968. Page subsequently founded Led Zeppelin while Dreja became a highly successful photographer. Lead singer Keith Relf formed a band called Renaissance with Jim McCarty and his sister, Jane Relf. The band became moderately popular in England but Keith left after only one album. He then became part of the road band behind Medicine Head , a duo led by John Fidler. Relf was found dead on Friday 14 May 1976 at his house in Hounslow, West London. Relf was discovered - holding a plugged-in electric guitar - by his eight-year-old son. His son called Relf's sister, Jane, to say "Daddy's stopped breathing".

He was declared dead on arrival at a local hospital. A group called The Yardbirds performed at the Marquee in London on 22 July 1983 during the club's anniversary celebrations. Dreja, McCarty and Samwell-Smith, with help from guitarist John Knightsbridge of Ruthless Blues and Nine Below Zero 's Mark Felton on harmonica, backed John Fidler from Medicine Head for whom Keith Relf had been benevolent overseer, producing Medicine Head's chart debut in 1971. Keith Relf stumbleupon Email Comment So many rock stars have wound up dead due to overdosing over the years. It’s the most common and expected way for these legends to meet their makers. Not all of them, however, have passed away because of drug abuse. Living the rock n’ roll lifestyle presents the dangerous reality of “anything’s possible.” With so many vices taunting them day to day, it becomes the ultimate test of self-control. Building the persona is a big part of being a rock star. Proving they’re the craziest rocker out there is an ongoing feat which most rockers feel the urge to take on.

However, this type of thinking usually leads to the idea of being indestructible. Many rock stars have referred to themselves as gods in one way or another but the harsh truth is… They’re not. With that said, not every musician who’s passed on can be held responsible for their own deaths. Freak accidents do happen. All causes aside, we have lost too many greats way too soon: John Bonham, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and John Lennon, just to name a few. All are dearly missed and will forever be remembered. This list reminds us of a few rockers who found themselves taking that trip to the other side in the most unexpected ways imaginable. 10. Keith Relf – The Yardbirds via biography.com Vocalist Keith Relf got to perform alongside three of rock n’ rolls most talented guitarists – Jimmy Page , Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck – in the English rock band The Yardbirds. Following the band’s break up in 1968, Relf went on to form an acoustic duo called Together later re-named Renaissance, with fellow Yardbird Jim McCarty. After Keith’s departure from Renaissance, he took on the role as a producer in the 1970s.

Shortly after, this multi-talented artist was electrocuted to death in his own home, due to an improperly grounded guitar. The ambitious brit was only 33 when he died. 9. Jeff Buckley via fanart.tv Best known for his astounding vocals, this young singer, songwriter and guitarist was considered one of the greatest singers of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. Jeff Buckley’s father Tim Buckley was also a famous musician best known for his beautifully written folk songs. Just as this aspiring artist began to blow up, he was pulled away from us by the waters of the Mississippi River. On May 29, 1997, Buckley went for a swim in the Wolf Creek Harbor, fully dressed, boots and all. He was with roadie and friend Keith Foti at the time, who said Buckley disappeared after a tug boat had passed by. His body was only found days later on June 4th by two locals. Buckley’s autopsy showed no signs of drugs or alcohol in his system and the death was ruled as an accidental drowning. 8. Terry Kath – Chicago via mtv.com Founding member of rock band Chicago, Terry Kath met an unfortunate fate due to his interest in guns.

Even though he had a history of drug abuse and was even reported saying “I’m going to get things under control … if I don’t, this stuff is going to kill me”, he wound up dead by other means. During a party at band technician Don Johnson’s Los Angeles home, Kath jokingly picked up an unloaded 38. revolver and aimed it at his head, pulling the trigger several times. Caught up in his own laughter, he proceeded to re-enact the joke with a 9mm pistol whose clip he had removed. Little did he know there was still a round in the chamber. Kath died instantly once he pulled the trigger. 7. Cliff Burton – Metallica via teamrock.com Bassist Cliff Burton played with the highly successful metal band Metallica, proving his skills on the band’s first three studio albums, Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. Unfortunately, his time with the band was short lived after a fatal bus accident in southern Sweden. During a long road trip between tour dates, Burton and fellow band mate Kirk Hammett drew cards to decide who would get first dibs on a bunk.

Cliff won, drawing the ace of spades, but this victory would soon lead to his demise. Early the next morning, the bus hit a patch of black ice, sending Burton from his chosen top bunk through the window where he was then crushed under the weight of the band’s tour bus. The band was in total shock as they watched their friend and 24-year old bassist die in front of them. 6. Bobby Fuller – The Bobby Fuller Four via shorefire.com The death of this 1960s singer and songwriter has puzzled people for years. He was best known for his hit singles “I Fought the Law” – which has been covered by many famous musicians – and “Love Made a Fool of You”. On July 18th, 1966, Fuller was found dead in a car outside his Hollywood apartment. He was covered in gasoline with multiple bruises and stab wounds. Countless theories have been made concerning his death, which involve murder, mob associations, and even speculation of Charles Manson. Whatever the case may be, one thing is for certain: Fuller died far too early at the age of 23. 5.

Stevie Ray Vaughan via snipview.com Arguably one of the greatest guitar players of all time, and a true legend among all blues fans out there, Stevie Ray Vaughan has written and performed some of the best blues songs in the history of the genre. Although the master guitar player had a long history of substance abuse, neither drugs nor alcohol played a role in his death. After playing a show with Eric Clapton at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin, Stevie, along with all of the other musicians, were to take helicopters back to Chicago. Despite the questionable foggy conditions that night, the pilots were instructed to leave anyway. Shortly after Vaughan’s helicopter took off it veered off course, crashing into the side of a ski hill, instantly killing him along with everyone else on board. 4. Mike Edwards – Electric Light Orchestra via jenormeg.canalblog.com Early member of British rock group Electric Light Orchestra or ELO, Mike Edwards was a multi-talented musician with an eccentric flair. Although he comes off as a shy, dapper man with a love for classical music, he has been known to dress in elaborate costumes and even blow up his instruments on stage.

With a long successful career in music, no one expected his abrupt death in 2010. During a drive along a rural country road in England, a 1, 300 pound cylindrical hay bale came rolling down a hillside and crushed Edward’s van, killing him instantly; this freak accident found no guilty perpetrators. 3. Randy Rhoads – Ozzy Osbourne via imcrossingover.tumblr.com This guitar god is the genius behind some of Ozzy Osbourne ’s greatest hits, including “Crazy Train”, “Mr. Crowley” and “Suicide Solution.” He is also recognized as a major influence on neo-classical metal. Although his time in the music world was short, he managed to prove his incredible skills on the electric guitar. Rhoads’s tragic death was the result of some foolhardy shenanigans, which took place during a pit stop to fix their tour bus’ air conditioner. The tour bus driver and ex pilot Andrew Aycock thought it would be funny to fly a small Beechcraft plane over the tour bus whilst the remaining members, including Ozzy, were asleep inside.

His first two attempts were successful, but on his third attempt he flew to close to the bus and clipped one of the wings, sending the plane spiraling out of control. Randy and the others aboard died on impact; their bodies were so badly burnt that they had to be identified by dental records. 2. Dimebag Darrell – Pantera via buzzquotes.com Founding member of metal band Pantera, Darrell Lance Abbott, better known as Dimebag Darrell, graced us with his guitar skills time and time again, but on December 8, 2004, a horrific shootout ended his reign as one of metal’s greatest shredders. During a show with Darrell’s other band Damageplan, a crazed gunman, ex-marine Nathan Gale, emerged from the crowd holding a 9 mm Beretta pistol and shot Dimebag in the head three times. The gunman then proceeded to fire more rounds, killing four people and wounding seven others. The band’s head of security, Jeff “Mayhem” Thompson, was killed tackling Gale, as was an audience member who was trying to preform CPR on Darrell and Thompson. This travesty is one of the most shocking incidents in the history of dead musicians.

1. John Lennon – The Beatles via riffraf.net World famous singer, song writer and political activist John Lennon is most famous for his work in the wildly successful rock band The Beatles. He wrote and performed countless masterpieces alongside his band mates Paul McCartney , Ringo Starr , and George Harrison . When news broke out that the beloved Beatle had been shot, it shocked the world. Upon arrival to his New York City apartment, Lennon was shot in the back four times by crazed fan Mark David Chapman. Police arrested gunman Chapman minutes after, who was reportedly grinning. Chapman was seen lurking around the building several hours before the shooting and claimed he had hounded Lennon for an autograph which he never got. Seems like quite an overreaction for not getting a signature; clearly he had some screws loose. The Yardbirds | New Music And Songs | The Yardbirds About The Yardbirds The Yardbirds are mostly known to the casual rock fan as the starting point for three of the greatest British rock guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. Undoubtedly, these three figures did much to shape the group's sound, but throughout their career, the Yardbirds were very much a unit, albeit a rather unstable one.

And they were truly one of the great rock bands; one whose contributions went far beyond the scope of their half dozen or so mid-'60s hits ("For Your Love," "Heart Full of Soul," "Shapes of Things," "I'm a Man," "Over Under Sideways Down," "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"). Not content to limit themselves to the R&B and blues covers they concentrated upon initially, they quickly branched out into moody, increasingly experimental pop/rock. The innovations of Clapton, Beck, and Page redefined the role of the guitar in rock music, breaking immense ground in the use of feedback, distortion, and amplification with finesse and breathtaking virtuosity. With the arguable exception of the Byrds, they did more than any other outfit to pioneer psychedelia, with an eclectic, risk-taking approach that laid the groundwork for much of the hard rock and progressive rock from the late '60s to the present. No one could have predicted the band's metamorphosis from their humble beginnings in the early '60s in the London suburbs as the Metropolis Blues Quartet.

By 1963, they were calling themselves the Yardbirds, with a lineup featuring Keith Relf (vocals), Paul Samwell-Smith (bass), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar), Jim McCarty (drums), and Anthony "Top" Topham (lead guitar). The 16-year-old Topham was only to last for a very short time, pressured to leave by his family. His replacement was an art-college classmate of Relf's, Eric Clapton, nicknamed "Slowhand." The Yardbirds quickly made a name for themselves in London's rapidly exploding R&B circuit, taking over the Rolling Stones' residency at the famed Crawdaddy club. The band took a similar guitar-based, frenetic approach to classic blues/R&B as the Stones, and for their first few years they were managed by Giorgio Gomelsky, a colorful figure who had acted as a mentor and informal manager for the Rolling Stones in that band's early days. The Yardbirds made their first recordings as a backup band for Chicago blues great Sonny Boy Williamson, and little of their future greatness is evident in these sides, in which they were still developing their basic chops.

(Some tapes of these live shows were issued after the group had become international stars; the material has been reissued ad infinitum since then.) But they really didn't find their footing until 1964, when they stretched out from straight R&B rehash into extended, frantic guitar-harmonica instrumental passages. Calling these ad hoc jams "raveups," the Yardbirds were basically making the blues their own by applying a fiercer, heavily amplified electric base. Taking some cues from improvisational jazz by inserting their own impassioned solos, they would turn their source material inside out and sideways, heightening the restless tension by building the tempo and heated exchange of instrumental riffs to a feverish climax, adroitly cooling off and switching to a lower gear just at the point where the energy seemed uncontrollable. The live 1964 album Five Live Yardbirds is the best document of their early years, consisting entirely of reckless interpretations of U.S. R&B/blues numbers, and displaying the increasing confidence and imagination of Clapton's guitar work.

As much they might have preferred to stay close to the American blues and R&B that had inspired them (at least at first), the Yardbirds made efforts to crack the pop market from the beginning. A couple of fine studio singles of R&B covers were recorded with Clapton that gave the band's sound a slight polish without sacrificing its power. The commercial impact was modest in the U.K. and non-existent in the States, however, and the group decided to change direction radically on their third single. Turning away from their blues roots entirely, "For Your Love" was penned by British pop/rock songwriter Graham Gouldman, and introduced many of the traits that would characterize the Yardbirds' work over the next two years. The melodies were strange (by pop standards) combinations of minor chords; the tempos slowed, speeded up, or ground to a halt unpredictably; the harmonies were droning, almost Gregorian; the arrangements were, by the standards of the time, downright weird, though retaining enough pop appeal to generate chart action. "For Your Love" featured a harpsichord, bongos, and a menacing Keith Relf vocal; it would reach number two in Britain, and number six in the States.

For all its brilliance, "For Your Love" precipitated a major crisis in the band. Eric Clapton wanted to stick close to the blues, and for that matter didn't like "For Your Love," barely playing on the record. Shortly afterward, around the beginning of 1965, he left the band, opting to join John Mayall's Bluesbreakers a bit later in order to keep playing blues guitar. Clapton's spot was first offered to Jimmy Page, then one of the hottest session players in Britain; Page turned it down, figuring he could make a lot more money by staying where he was. He did, however, recommend another guitarist, Jeff Beck, then playing with an obscure band called the Tridents, as well as having worked a few sessions himself. While Beck's stint with the band lasted only about 18 months, in this period he did more to influence the sound of '60s rock guitar than anyone except Jimi Hendrix. Clapton saw the group's decision to record adventurous pop like "For Your Love" as a sellout of their purist blues ethic. Beck, on the other hand, saw such material as a challenge that offered room for unprecedented experimentation.

Not that he wasn't a capable R&B player as well; on tracks like "The Train Kept A-Rollin'" and "I'm Not Talking," he coaxed a sinister sustain from his instrument by bending the notes and using fuzz and other types of distorted amplification. The Middle Eastern influence extended to his work on all of their material, including his first single with the band, "Heart Full of Soul," which (like "For Your Love") was written by Gouldman. After initial attempts to record the song with a sitar had failed, Beck saved the day by emulating the instrument's exotic twang with fuzz riffs of his own. It became their second transatlantic Top Ten hit; the similar "Evil-Hearted You," again penned by Gouldman, gave them another big British hit later in 1965. The chief criticism that could be levied against the band at this point was their shortage of quality original material, a gap addressed by "Still I'm Sad," a haunting group composition based around a Gregorian chant and Beck's sinewy, wicked guitar riffs.

In the United States, it was coupled with "I'm a Man," a re-haul of the Bo Diddley classic that built to an almost avant-garde climax, Beck scraping the strings of the guitar for a purely percussive effect; it became a Top 20 hit in the United States in early 1966. Beck's guitar pyrotechnics came to fruition with "Shapes of Things," which (along with the Byrds' "Eight Miles High") can justifiably be classified as the first psychedelic rock classic. The group had already moved into social comment with a superb album track, "Mr. You're a Better Man than I"; on "Shapes of Things" they did so more succinctly, with Beck's explosively warped solo and feedback propelling the single near the U.S. Top Ten. At this point the group were as innovative as any in rock & roll, building their résumé with the similar hit follow-up to "Shapes of Things," "Over Under Sideways Down." But the Yardbirds could not claim to be nearly as consistent as peers like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Kinks.

1966's Roger the Engineer was their first (and, in fact, only) studio album comprised entirely of original material, and highlighted the group's erratic quality, bouncing between derivative blues rockers and numbers incorporating monks-of-doom chants, Oriental dance rhythms, and good old guitar raveups, sometimes in the same track. Its highlights, however, were truly thrilling; even when the experiments weren't wholly successful, they served as proof that the band was second to none in their appetite for taking risks previously unheard of within rock. Yet at the same time, the group's cohesiveness began to unravel when bassist Samwell-Smith -- who had shouldered most of the production responsibilities as well -- left the band in mid-1966. Jimmy Page, by this time fed up with session work, eagerly joined on bass. It quickly became apparent that Page had more to offer, and the group unexpectedly reorganized, Dreja switching from rhythm guitar to bass, and Page assuming dual lead guitar duties with Beck. It was a dream lineup that was, like the best dreams, too good to be true, or at least to last long.

Only one single was recorded with the Beck/Page lineup, "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago," which -- with its astral guitar leads, muffled explosions, eerie harmonies, and enigmatic lyrics -- was psychedelia at its pinnacle. But not at its most commercial; in comparison with previous Yardbirds singles, it fared poorly on the charts, reaching only number 30 in the States. Around this time, the group (Page and Beck in tow) made a memorable appearance in Michaelangelo Antonioni's film classic Blow Up, playing a reworked version of "The Train Kept-A-Rollin'" (retitled "Stroll On"). But in late 1966, Beck -- who had become increasingly unreliable, not turning up for some shows and suffering from nervous exhaustion -- left the band, emerging the following year as the leader of the Jeff Beck Group. The remaining Yardbirds were determined to continue as a quartet, but in hindsight it was Beck's departure that began to burn out a band that had already survived the loss of a couple important original members. Also to blame was their mysterious failure to summon original material on the order of their classic 1965-1966 tracks.

More to blame than anyone, however, was Mickey Most (Donovan, Herman's Hermits, Lulu, the Animals), who assumed the producer's chair in 1967, and matched the group with inappropriately lightweight pop tunes. The band's unbridled experimentalism would simmer in isolated moments on some b-sides and album tracks, like "Puzzles," the psychedelic U.F.O. instrumental "Glimpses," and the acoustic "White Summer," which would serve as a blueprint for Page's acoustic excursions with Led Zeppelin. "Little Games," "Ha Ha Said the Clown," and "Ten Little Indians" were all low-charting singles for the group in 1967, but were travesties compared to the magnificence of their previous hits, trading in fury and invention for sappy singalong pop. The 1967 Little Games album (issued in the U.S. only) was little better, suffering from both hasty, anemic production and weak material. The Yardbirds continued to be an exciting concert act, concentrating most of their energies upon the United States, having been virtually left for dead in their native Britain.

The b-side of their final single, the Page-penned "Think About It," was the best track of the entire Jimmy Page era, showing they were still capable of delivering intriguing, energetic psychedelia. It was too little too late; the group was truly on the wane by 1968, as an artistic rift developed within the ranks. To over-generalize somewhat, Relf and McCarty wanted to pursue more acoustic, melodic music; Page especially wanted to rock hard and loud. A live album was recorded in New York in early 1968, but scrapped; overdubbed with unbelievably cheesy crowd noises, it was briefly released in 1971 after Page had become a superstar in Led Zeppelin, but was withdrawn in a matter of days (it has since been heavily bootlegged). By this time the group was going through the motions, leaving Page holding the bag after a final show in mid-1968. Relf and McCarty formed the first incarnation of Renaissance. Page fulfilled existing contracts by assembling a "New Yardbirds" that, as many know, would soon change their name to Led Zeppelin.

It took years for the rock community to truly comprehend the Yardbirds' significance; younger listeners were led to the recordings in search of the roots of Clapton, Beck, and Page, each of whom had become a superstar by the end of the 1960s. Their wonderful catalog, however, has been subject to more exploitation than any other group of the '60s; dozens, if not hundreds, of cheesy packages of early material are generated throughout the world on a seemingly monthly basis. Fortunately, the best of the reissues cited below (on Rhino, Sony, Edsel and EMI) are packaged with great intelligence, enabling both collectors and new listeners to acquire all of their classic output with a minimum of fuss and repetition. Thirty-five years after their break up in 1968, original members Chris Dreja and Jim McCarty pulled together a slew of new musicians to record a new album under the Yardbirds moniker, titled Birdland, and followed it with a tour of the United States. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi Hear more of Which 60’s Guitarist Electrocuted Himself by Standing on a Gas Pipe While Playing?

– Beryl Porter's In One Ear Beryl Porter , Uncategorized Leave a comment Keith Relf was a founding member of the Yardbirds, one of the pivotal British rock bands of the 1960s. Relf is also remembered for his unusual, untimely death. Keith Relf (March 22, 1943 – May 14, 1976) was lead vocalist for the Yardbirds. He fronted the group through its entire lifespan, from 1963 until 1968. During this period, the group had many big-selling and influential hit records. Relf dissolved the group in 1968, became a record producer and sideman, and had begun a new stage of his musical career just before his early death.

Yardbirds with Jimmy Page (on the right) Yardbirds with Jeff Beck (on the right) Yardbirds with Eric Clapton (lower right) When people remember the Yardbirds, the British blues-based band that came to prominence in the mid to late 60s, what they remember most is the triumvirate of guitar players that used the group as a launching pad to stardom: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and future Led Zeppelin founder Jimmy Page. While there is no doubt that these now world-famous guitarists contributed greatly to the Yardbirds’ sound, another less-famous member gave the group voice, performing presence, and direction. That man was Keith Relf. Born in London in 1943, William Keith Relf latched onto American rhythm and blues as a teenager. Influenced by the likes of Sonny Boy Williamson, Relf began to play harmonica in school. In 1963, he formed the Yardbirds, a group specializing in a then-exotic repertoire of American R&B. Joined by Eric Clapton, the Yardbirds soon established themselves as the fiercest of the scene’s many R&B cover bands.

Their version of Bo Diddley’s “I’m a Man” was typical – they played the plodding original at a furious, propulsive pace, ending in a blur of scratching guitars and wailing harmonica. This tendency towards high speed and increased volume, dubbed “the rave-up,” became one of the group’s distinguishing features. A record contract followed, and soon the band, guided by the restless and substance-friendly Relf, drifted away from R&B. Subsequent hit songs suggested beatniks with harpsichords (“For Your Love”), melancholy monks (“Still I’m Sad”), and acid-soaked Romany (“Over Under Sideways Down”). Clapton left the band, and Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page joined, pushing the group deeper into psychedelic byways of fuzz tone and distortion. Although Relf persevered, his attitude towards the high-powered guitar music that defined the group began to change. Exhausted from extensive touring and suffering from asthma, Relf wanted to sing gentler, more thoughtful music. By 1968, the Yardbirds’ end was at hand. Keith Relf’s first post-Yardbirds group was Together, an acoustic duo with fellow ex-Yardbird Jim McCarty.

Their Simon and Garfunkel-inspired music failed to catch on, however, and Relf formed a new band with his sister Jane called Renaissance. The group was indeed a renaissance for Relf, allowing him to explore his psychedelic and acoustic leanings freely over the course of two albums. But difficult and unrewarding touring wore them down, and Relf would dissolve its first incarnation in 1970. (Led by vocalist Annie Haslam, the group’s second, more progressive incarnation became a fixture of the 70s music scene.) Relf stayed active in the early 70s as a producer and occasional player. In 1975, he founded a heavy metal group called Armageddon. Energized by the group into delivering some of his best vocals on record, Relf looked poised for new success. Sadly, this was not to be. Dogged by ill health, Relf broke up the group and went home to recuperate. Instead, he met an ironic end. Relf stayed active in the early 70s as a producer and occasional player. In 1975, he founded a heavy metal group called Armageddon.

Energized by the group into delivering some of his best vocals on record, Relf looked poised for new success. Sadly, this was not to be. Dogged by ill health, Relf broke up the group and went home to recuperate. Instead, he met an ironic end. While practicing guitar in his cellar, he stood on a gas pipe. Because the guitar was ungrounded, the electrical current resulted in a severe shock to his body. Reportedly, his electrocuted body was found by his eight-year-old son. Because the Relf family remained so private about his death, a rumor began to grow that the singer had been a victim of death by misadventure. The man who left the Yardbirds largely because of electric guitars died on May 14, 1976, BY an electric guitar.

Question: Keith Relf was the singer with which 1960s group, three of their guitarists are some of the most famous in rock music?
Answer: The Yardbirds